Avoid These Design Projects Before Listing Your Home on the Market

Making updates to your home and investing in some key renovations are smart steps to take before listing your home on the market. They can help you sell your home faster and make more money on it.

However, it’s important to be objective about the renovations you decide to do before selling. Getting your home in its best shape possible will help your home stand out from the competition and impress buyers but going overboard can actually have you losing money once the deal is said and done.

Here are some popular design projects we recommend avoiding before putting your home on the market.

Design Projects to Avoid Before Selling Your Home

Top-of-the-line appliances

Appliances are an important selling point in a kitchen. Outdated or dingy appliances can be big drawbacks to buyers. However, there is no need to invest in top-of-the-line appliances if the current ones need to be switched out before selling. While they may be fancy and attention-grabbing, you won’t see a full return on the investment. Brand new mid-range appliances will have the same effect on buyers without taking too much out of your pocket.

Pool

Some of us love a beautiful pool, especially during the summer, but if you’re planning to sell in the near future it’s best to avoid this upgrade. You rarely see a full return on a pool and it can actually be a deterrent to some buyers who don’t want to deal with the maintenance or would rather have the yard space. Instead, put in some nice landscaping to highlight the yard but leave plenty of room for buyers to put their own stamp on the space.

Wall finishes

Wall finishes are a wonderful way to add character and style to a home, but they are a very personal choice. When staging a home to sell, all décor choices are made with the buyer in mind. Since every buyer will have their own unique tastes, it’s important to keep things neutral while it’s on the market, otherwise, that beautiful wall finish you spent time and money installing could either deter buyers completely or be ripped out as soon as they move in. Save the wall finishes for your next home.

Luxury window treatments

Curtains finish off a space and make it feel more polished and cozy. They are definitely great for home staging, but like other décor elements, they should be chosen with the majority of buyers in mind. While luxury window treatments may look beautiful, the large investment isn’t necessary when buyers are likely to end up changing them, anyway, to something suited to their personal tastes. If you do install window treatments, opt for ones that are neutral and modest in price in case buyers want to change them.

Designer flooring and finishes

It’s smart to change out outdated, unappealing flooring and finishes in a home before listing it on the market. With all the competition from newer homes, these are great investments to make. However, like the other features we mentioned in this post, you don’t need to install the best of the best to impress buyers. Designer touches may be impressive but at the end of the day, they aren’t going to persuade buyers more than a stylish mid-range option.

All in all, save the designer touches and luxury features for your next home where you will be able to enjoy them. If you aren’t sure where your money will be best spent, hire a real estate agent and professional home stager to get personalized advice.